Preventing Patient Falls—the Power of the Huddle

Haunted by the memory of a patient fall early in her nursing career, Leticia Figueroa, the manager of this unit in Southern California was determined to reducing similar incidents. Members of the unit-based team examined data on falls in their department and then turned their attention to prevention. After a series of tests of change, they realized their efforts were working. In one year, the team reduced patient falls by 40 percent.

What Got Results

Posting calendar of patient falls in the department to increase visibility of the issue

Huddling daily and including a safety briefing

Educating patients about the precautions they can take when they need to get out of bed